The present invention relates to a valve device for a closed system for endotracheal aspiration of a patient via a catheter.
It is already known within the art to provide valve devices that are configured especially for use in systems for endotracheal aspiration of a patient. In this context reference is made to e.g. GB patent No 2,207,736, U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,344 and FR patent application No 2,682,603. These disclosures are incorporated in this application text by the present reference.
Albeit the prior art valve devices comply with a large number of the current requirements to functionality, they are, however, all associated with inconveniences. These are not only ascribed to high costs of manufacture, but also to constructive deficiencies that can, in some situations, reduce the performance of the valve devices. In the prior art valve devices, secretion sucked from the patient may thus deposit on the valve body as such, which may lead to sealing problems when the connection to the vacuum source is interrupted. Thus, adverse accumulation of secretion in the valve house interior may also occur.
The invention aims to provide a valve device that is superior to the known valve devices and that does not aim to remedy the described problems only, but can also be assembled in a relatively simple operation by use of a small number of components.
An improved valve device is obtained by the valve device described herein. Thus, by the invention the valve chamber has substantially no movable surfaces in the flow path for fluid that is aspired from the patient. When through-flow is permitted by manipulating the actuator button, the coupling that connects the valve body with the actuator button is withdrawn from the flow path, contrary to the devices disclosed in the above references.
In various embodiments, a device is provided that is simple to operate, a downward pressure on the actuator button in a direction towards the valve chamber causing a corresponding downward movement of the valve body and thereby opening the flow passage through the valve chamber.
In various embodiments, the valve device is conveniently enclosed in an actuator housing that has a face that enables the user of the device to provide a reaction force against the downward pressure force exerted on the actuator button.
Preferably, the flexible membrane that seals the opening for receipt of the valve body has resilient properties and may thus constitute the resilient member for controlling the movement of the valve body. The flexible membrane can particularly advantageously constitute an integral portion of the valve body. Besides, the valve body can particularly advantageously comprise engagement means that allow direct attachment to the coupling means via complementary engagement means configured on the coupling means.
Additional embodiments of the valve device enable auto-sealing properties, since a sub-atmospheric pressure from the vacuum source will merely entail an increased impact force between the valve body and the valve seat when the actuator button is in its first position in which the two flow passages are cut off from each other.